Emergency room closure imminent at HCH

Residents of Hantsport, Windsor and West Hants will have further to travel for emergency health services this summer.

The Hants Community Hospital plans to close its Emergency Department for the month of July and possibly August, says Chief of Staff Dr. Mark Kazimirski.

He made the announcement to Joint Council Thursday, June 25, stating the hospital does not have enough physicians to staff that department this summer when vacation demands are at their peak.

Despite the NDP's platform strategy to keep ERs open, Kazimirski says it's not a matter of money, but available bodies. “At this point I think the Department of Health is powerless to help. We can't manufacture doctors that aren't there.”

And because HCH falls under Capital Health District, ER patients will likely be diverted to metro facilities rather than the Valley Regional Hospital. “The Valley Regional may not be capable of looking after the overload. They are stacking patients as it is,” he said. “We have one of the busiest emergency departments in Capital Health; we're looking at diverting a lot of people.”

Have to travel to Halifax to see a doctor

Kazimirski notes patients will be directed to either the Cobequid Community Health Centre in Sackville or the QEII in Halifax. Children with severe symptoms can be treated at the IWK. “What this means is if a kid is sick with a high fever they will have to travel to Halifax to be seen by a physician. It's going to be a very big deal for families in this area.”

Those without access to transportation will be forced to rely on ambulance service. Kazimirski said an agreement would need to be reached with the QEII to allow for the overflow. “We are going to have to make some arrangement; we will have to send patients there whether they have room for them or not.”

And treatment there will differ greatly from that closer to home. “It's going to be very different from being treated at a community hospital, especially if family support systems are not close at hand,” he said.

Nurses at HCH will receive training to help cope with the arduous task of turning patients away, he said. “We will have a plan in place for staff; people just can't come up to a closed door. Nurses will be trained on what they can or can't do if someone comes in with an urgent problem.”

Will write Minister of Health

All three councils passed a motion to write to Minister of Health Maureen MacDonald to express concerns regarding the closure and to open a dialogue on possible solutions.

West Hants Municipal Warden Richard Dauphinee says the closure will wreak havoc on the community. “We're a rural area. What about the people out in Vaughn or Summerville? What chance do they stand of getting to a hospital in time? One death is one too many.”

He said new government or old, it doesn't make a difference if the doctors just aren't there. “If the other doctors won't pitch in on hospital privileges, this is just going to get worse.”

Kazimirski confirmed that only one general practitioner in the local area works the ER while three others - himself included - offer in-patient hospital privileges. “All the physicians in the ER are family doctors, but not from this area.” He said the critical issue is not for more emergency room physicians, but for more family doctors willing to multi-task.